Harry Potter and the Well of Lost Souls
by loved-with-abandon
Summary: Harry's Dreams are returning, and the final battle is about to ensue. But with one Horcrux still in existance and time running out, Does Harry even have a chance? PS: I have a rule: If you R&R, I R&R your stories.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: As you all undoubtedly know, all Harry Potter Characters belong to the fabulous J.K. Rowling. _

Chapter 1 

Harry stood in the middle of the Great Hall, watching as Ron and Fleur danced a ridiculous waltz, while Hermione looked on scathingly. She leaned over to him and whispered

"You know, he did promise me thousands of Chocolate Frogs cards if I married him, and all I get is this sham of a marriage. I've half a mind to run off with Dobby. He's been offering quite regularly lately." Dobby suddenly appeared before them dressed in a ridiculous lime green tuxedo.

"Dobby will do anything to marry Master's best friend, who has made him so many lovely hats!"

Harry laughed and turned away. The scene had changed. Hermione and Ron were gone. The Great Hall was gone. Harry looked around in confusion. What was he doing here? This place had not haunted his dreams in months. A long corridor, with a dark door at the end. The door to the Department of Mysteries. A place he had not been in so very long, and one he had never intended upon seeing again. And yet here he was.

The door opened before him and he glided, rather than walked through it. So familiar…a door across the room opened, and he suddenly found himself in the middle of what appeared to be a large, circular, very empty room. He turned slowly on the spot, gazing at the walls that were completely free of writing or marking. As he glanced around the room, he realized that "almost empty" was a better description. At the far end of the room, four figures seemed to be conferring around a small shape in their midst. As Harry drew closer, he recognized the figures. One was Severus Snape, who looked frankly bored with everything going on. A wave of loathing rushed over Harry as the picture of an old man falling over the battlement of a tower flashed through his mind. Macnair, who Harry had only seen a few times, stood next to him, a sick look of lustful hunger on his face as he stared at the shape before them. Most terrifying of all, Lord Voldemort was reclining near them, in a throne he seemed to have conjured out of midair. Nagini, his hideous snake, was curled around his arm, moving her scaly body across his hand. Bellatrix Lestrange was standing quite close to him, simpering over Voldemort, but keeping a wary and fearful eye on the snake.

Harry drew even closer, and with a terrible realization, realized that it was Ginny kneeling tied up on the floor, a look of defiance on her face. Harry attempted to run to her, to yell her name, to tell her it was only a dream, but his feet and voice would not obey him. He opened his mouth and found nothing but silence. His feet refused to move as if they had been glued to the floor. Voldemort smiled in Ginny's direction, sharp teeth gleaming against the pale face, red, snakelike eyes flashing with the bloodlust Harry knew so well.

"How long do you think, my lady, until Harry Potter comes to your rescue and inevitably, to his death? An hour, perhaps? Two?" His voice sent chills down Harry's spine. Ginny's eyes burned with angry fire as she spat at Voldemort's feet. Even at a time like this, Harry had to admire her bravery.

"To rescue me, yes. To his death, I very much doubt." Ginny spat. Bellatrix scoffed and slapped Ginny in the face. Again Harry tried to cry out, tell her not to worry, they would wake up soon. But again, his voice caught in his throat.

"As if anyone could even come close to defeating the greatest wizard of all time, you stupid girl. The very idea-"

"Hush, Bella." Bellatrix fell silent and Voldemort gazed at Ginny with a scrutinizing look in his eye.

"You speak with a great amount of courage for someone in your situation."

"I speak only what I know is the truth. Not something you would know much about, I'm sure" Again, Bellatrix's palm collided with Ginny's cheek, this time bringing blood from the corner of her mouth. The Cruciatus Curse Bellatrix uttered a moment later hit it's mark with excruciating force. Harry's brain was now screaming

"_Wake up! Wake up! Please! Wake up!" _ But the image refused to fade, and consciousness refused to come.

Voldemort held up his hand and Lestrange released the spell. Voldemort approached Ginny's now shaking form.

"Where is he, Blood traitor? Why had your precious Harry Potter not yet come to your rescue?" Ginny said nothing, only stared at the floor. "Perhaps he is too afraid" Without looking up Ginny responded, her voice trembling

"Maybe he is afraid, but there's the difference between you and him. He will come in spite of his fear. You are nothing but a coward, the lowest piece of filth to walk this earth."

The Cruciatus Curse hit her again and Harry could do nothing but watch. Even the tear he could feel inside refused to pour out of his eyes.

"Still he does not come! Why? Why does he continue to allow you to suffer?" Voldemort spat.

Ginny looked up through her pain

"He will come. And you will die."

"Let us see if we cannot speed up his reaction time a bit" At these words, Harry braced himself again for the Cruciatus Curse, but each time he tried to turn away, the image appeared in front of his eyes again. Again and again he attempted to turn his eyes from the scene, but it stubbornly remained rooted directly in front of his eyes. His palms began to sweat as he waited for the word. But it never came.

"Macnair" the Dark Lord began, "You remember what we discussed, I trust? You remember what the Dark lord promised you?" Macnair nodded, a greedy and lustful look in his eye as he approached Ginny. Voldemort spoke again.

"You see, my dear, there is nothing worse than death, but to a man in love, I have gathered, there are things much worse than watching his love suffer the Cruciatus Curse."

Realization dawned in Ginny's eyes and in Harry's heart before Macnair's groping hands even touched her. Her screams echoed in his head as he awoke in his bed at the Burrow, yelling her name.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Harry sat blot upright in bed; his breath coming in short bursts. Without thinking about the other people in the house who were sleeping, he continued to yell her name.

"Ginny! GINNY!" He threw himself out of bed and was nearly to the door when a redheaded girl of about 16 appeared in his doorway.

"Harry, what's-" but before she could finish, Harry threw his arms around her slight frame as he had not done for nearly a year, tears pouring into her red hair. He pressed his lips against the top of her head, breathing in the flowery smell that he loved so much. As his panic eased, Ginny looked up at him.

"Harry, what's wrong?" He paused, breathing deeply to calm himself, suddenly realizing how stupid he was to be panicked.

"Nothing. Just…just a dream." She reached up to touch his face, and for this one time, he did not pull away as he had felt the need to do so often in the past year. For a long moment, she said nothing, simply looked at him, an expression of worry and concern etched into her face. Harry smiled. For a moment, she looked very like a younger version of her mother. Finally she whispered.

"You promise me it was only a dream?" Harry swallowed hard, trying to convince himself of the same thing, even thought the proof was in his own arms. Finally, he nodded.

"Just a dream." Ginny smiled.

"You look exhausted. Go back to bed, Harry. You need to rest." He suddenly found that he was indeed utterly exhausted. As she turned to leave, Harry found that he could not bring himself to let go of her hand.

"Shall I stay awhile?" she asked gently. Everything in Harry's head, every part of him that wanted so badly to protect her screamed a definite no. But somehow he found himself nodding. He lay down on his bed and she reclined next to him, running her small fingers through his eternally messy hair. Sleep took him almost immediately, and the last words he heard from her were

"Don't worry, Harry. You're safe. I promise."

He awoke the next morning to brilliant sunlight streaming in through the windows. He never ceased to be amazed at the fact that the weather remained cheerfully ignorant of Voldemort's return. He stretched out his arm to where Ginny had been the night before. For a moment, a wave of panic swept over him when he found only empty sheets. He forced himself to keep a slow, steady gait in his walk as he made his way down the hall to her room. He stopped in front of her door and opened it just enough to see her empty bed. Again a wave of panic rushed through him and it was all he could do to refrain from yelling her name again. He bolted through the house, taking stairs two and three at a time before he remembered he could apparate. With a pop, he appeared in the tiny kitchen, gasping.

"Oy! Harry, get off!" In his panic, Harry had forgotten to aim and had apparated right on top of George. At the sound of George's cry, the entire family had bolted upright, wands out and ready for a fight. The war had taken a toll on them all.

"Sorry about that…" The family relaxed back into their seats as Harry looked around frantically for Ginny. With a sigh of relief, he found her standing next to her mother in the kitchen, stirring what looked like porridge. The entire Weasly family was seated around the small, scrubbed table, except of course for Arthur and Percy. Arthur was working overtime at the ministry, and Percy, only weeks after finally reconciling with his family, had been found dead in his London flat, one of many casualties of the war. The reason for his death had never been fully discovered and a black and white photograph had been placed on the mantle in his memory.

The rest of the family however, had crammed itself inside the little house, wanting to be together as much as possible in case of the worst. Bill and Fleur sat at one end of the table, holding hands and speaking in hushed voices. Next to them, Charlie had hidden his face behind a newspaper. The front page proclaimed that Rufus Scrigemore had disappeared, and that there had been more than 50 muggle casualties in a battle only the night before.

The only sound came from Fred, who was laughing hysterically next to an overturned chair that George was busy setting right. Others might find them a nuisance, but Harry was forever grateful for the twins' ability to laugh and goof off in hard times. Hermione sat at the far end of the table, a chair on either side of her, clearly for Ron and Harry. Her face, like everyone else's was pale and strained from the constant fear and lack of sleep. Harry noticed that all the Weasly's were making a pointed effort not to look at him. As Mrs. Weasly bustled in, he understood why.

"Bad dream last night, Harry, dear?" he nodded slowly, saying,

"I didn't mean to wake you. Sorry."

"Oh, pish posh, Harry. You can't help it when you've got bad dreams, and for someone of your situation…" her voice trailed off "Anyway, it's fine, you're fine, we're all fine." She handed Harry a plate of toast, bacon, eggs, and a bowl of porridge. Before going back to the kitchen, she glanced at her clock, where each hand was still pointing to "Mortal Peril"

"There must be a way to fix that." She muttered. "I _know _we're all in mortal peril. I want to know when Arthur's coming home." She stopped as she stared for a moment at the place where Percy's hand would normally be. She sucked in her breath rather sharply before bustling off to the kitchen.

Harry took a seat next to Hermione, who was absently toying with the band of gold around her left ring finger, glancing furtively at the stairs every few moments. Harry watched her for a moment before asking,

"Where's Ron?"

"Still in bed…He didn't get much sleep last night" Harry grinned at her. She flushed deep scarlet

"Not that…well, we are…so we do…but last night…with you…and well, you understand, right?" He laughed and shook his head.

"I didn't mean to keep you awake." Suddenly a thought came to him "I just thought of something. If I woke all of you up, why was it only Ginny who came into my room? Normally half the family would have been having a meeting on my bed." Hermione looked grim.

"We _were_ all halfway to your room. You yelled for her for nearly five minutes before she got to your door. I imagine you started yelling in your sleep" Hermione took a deep breath "Ginny said that as it was her you were yelling for and you were obviously panicking, it should be her to go to you. Most of us were quite happy to go back to bed. Mrs. Weasly…_Molly_, I mean" Mrs. Weasly was forever trying to get Hermione to call her Mum, but the closest Hermione could get was Molly "She took a good bit of convincing, but eventually Ginny had even her convinced, although Mr. Weasly had to almost drag her back to bed" Harry nodded as Hermione continued, dropping her voice to a whisper "Are you sure you're alright though Harry? You sounded as if someone was killing her." He shook his head again

"I'm not sure." She still looked worried, but Ron's apparition onto George, who had barely picked himself up from the floor, distracted her enough for him to escape the conversation. Fred burst into fresh peals of laughter as George pushed Ron onto the floor rather roughly, scowling and rubbing his head where two sets of feet had now landed.

"Morning all." He yawned "Mother, Siblings, Wife" Hermione rolled her eyes She leaned over to Harry and whispered, "Sometimes it's very unfortunate that I can't help but love him. Although the word wife does seem to amuse him a great deal" Ron poured himself into the chair next to Hermione and slung his arm across her chair back. After giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, he turned to Harry.

"I keep telling you, mate. St. Mungo's is supposed to have excellent wards for head-cases" Harry threw a roll at him. Ron dodged it and continued, "I'm just saying. And they could charge admission. "Crazy Scar Boy; A Galleon a showing!" The thing is Harry; you're in the wrong business. Revenge doesn't pay well. And St. Mungo's can always use the income." Hermione looked horrified, but Harry grinned at him. Ron was a great person to have around if you needed the mood lightened. Harry leaned over to Ron and whispered,

"I know I told everyone it was only a dream, but we need to talk; just the three of us, later" The two of them nodded and Hermione said,

"After breakfast, then, our room." Harry nodded. He watched as Ginny sat down next to Fred and George. She looked up and met his eye. In that moment, there was an unspoken agreement that no mention would be made of the night before, and nothing would change. Harry loved her too much to let Voldemort use her as bait. But if what he had seen last night was any indication, perhaps Voldemort already knew…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Harry sank into a worn chair by the window. The room was cramped and filled almost to its capacity. Many of Hermione's things were with her parents still, simply because there was not enough room in the tiny house for all of it. A bed barely big enough for two people was pushed against the wall, and a wardrobe hung slightly open from all the items it contained. As Harry looked out of the small window, he could see nothing but empty streets. Even muggles, who had no idea what was going on, were choosing to stay inside these days. Ron shut the door quietly and took a seat on the floor. Hermione continued to stand, a look of intense worry on her face.

"So," Ron began. "What's up?" Harry put his hands over his eyes, and the image from the night before swam into his view. He had almost forgotten what a good audience Ron and Hermione were. The remembered to gasp in all the right spots, and as Harry finished the dream in little more than a whisper, Ron and Hermione both yelled,

"No!" Hermione sank onto her bed.

"But…it can't…she's still…right?" Hermione stammered. Ron rolled his eyes.

"It's so nice that you always explain things so very eloquently" Hermione looked as if she was gearing up a retort, but Harry interrupted,

"Guys. Remember? Crisis and all that?" They fell silent

"Well, This is like what he did with Sirius, isn't it? Showing him to you in the Department of Mysteries to lure you there? Couldn't he be doing the same thing?" Hermione asked. Harry shook his head.

"I doubt it. Voldemort is evil, but he isn't stupid. He doesn't use the same tactic more than once, especially when it landed most of his followers in jail the first time."

"Not that it lasted long…" muttered Ron, clearly remembering the headline a week before announcing that Azkaban had been emptied.

"So we have two possibilities." Hermione murmured. "Either Harry is just dreaming out his fears, or…" She paused and Harry finished for her

"Or it's real." Ron looked bemused

"It can't be real though, Ginny is in the kitchen with Mum."

"Could it be someone using Polyjuice Potion?" Hermione asked. Ron's eyes grew wide, but Harry shook his head.

"No. If he takes her, he'll want me to know she's gone. Immediately. And last night…just believe me. It's her" Ron looked as though he wanted to pursue what had happened last night to make Harry so sure, but Hermione interjected before he could begin.

"So it really was just a dream, then? Ginny's safe" They all nodded. As they got up to leave, Harry said,

"Let's keep this quiet, then, shall we? The last thing I need is more concern from anyone."

"It doesn't make any sense!" Charlie yelled, slamming his fist on the table. The other occupants of the small table jumped. Harry looked up from the map he was pouring over to see Lupin put his hand on Charlie's shoulder.

"Calm down." said Lupin "You'll get us nowhere by losing you're temper." Charlie sat back down, rubbing his fist where it had made contact with the wood.

"Charlie's right though, Remus" said Kinsley Shaklebolt in his deep voice. "We have spies everywhere looking for him, and nothing. There isn't even any news of his plans. He's being more cautious this time." He shook his head. "I am sorry Harry." Harry shook his head.

"He wants the fight to be on his terms. He won't let me find him until he's ready." Lupin sighed.

"The question is, Harry, are you ready? When he finds you, will you be ready to fight?" He thought of the locket, the last Horcrux he had destroyed. In his minds eye, he watched it glow blood red and then fade. He remembered the unearthly shriek the soul piece made as it was obliterated. He remembered the fight the locket itself had put up, the curses he had been forced to break before it could be destroyed. He rubbed his shoulder where his newest scar, one of many he had procured in the past year, was etched into his skin. He had one more Horcrux to demolish. He felt ill as he thought of Nagini, Voldemort's repulsive snake. He sorely hoped that the spell to destroy a Horcrux was the same when applied to a living creature. He must have been silent for quite some time because Lupin clapped him on the back.

"Harry? Are you alright?"

"Fine. Just…just thinking." He sat down into the wooden chair behind him. "Everything's ready. I just need to find him." He put his hands over his face and listened as conversation resumed around him. Ron and Hermione continued where Harry had left off, pouring over the worn map. Kingsley, Charlie and Lupin fell deep into conversation about locales not yet searched. Fred and George were talking to their father, and Harry smiled to himself as he overheard their conversation.

"The thing is Dad, what if You-Know-Who is using…" Fred lowered his voice, "A Horcrux?"

"Yea," George added, "We were doing research for new products and ran across the word. When we found out what it was (which took no small amount of looking, let me tell you), it seemed like the exact type of thing You-Know-Who would use" Mr. Weasly shivered.

"It's quite possible, I suppose, though we have no proof for it. It seems well within his character. I don't think it would be wise to worry Harry with assumptions right now. We'll look into though." Harry almost laughed. All but one Horcrux destroyed, before the idea even occurred to the Order. He rubbed his temples, as if trying to stimulate a new revelation as to Voldemort's whereabouts.

The house slowly emptied, dinner finished and no news as to Voldemort's whereabouts or new plans. Fred and George walked slowly toward him.

"Fancy a game of Quidditch before bed, mate?" Harry smiled. In such dark times, could Quidditch really still exist? Hermione looked absolutely scandalized.

"You can't go outside! Let alone FLY outside! What if there's an ambush?" Fred raised an eyebrow

"An ambush? On our back field? Come on, Hermione, even you know that's ridiculous. Come on Harry, we'll get Charlie to come with. Ron and Ginny have already said they'll play" Ignoring Hermione's protest, Harry nodded and apparated to his room for his Firebolt. Just before he left the kitchen, he heard Hermione.

"Oh, your mother is going to kill you."

In ten minutes, Fred, George, Ron, Harry, Ginny and Charlie were assembled with their brooms in the field behind the house. Hermione had refused to come, saying that she had better things to do and that when they were all captured, she would only laugh. As they had exited the house, Ron had leaned over to Harry and muttered,

"It's really just like be married to my mother."

"We don't exactly have a snitch." Charlie said "But we have plenty of acorns, which will do fine in a trice. Ginny, if you would?" She picked one off the ground and pointed her wand at it silently. Harry watched, impressed, as the acorn swelled and began to glow, not brightly, but enough to be seen in the twilight. Another moment and the acorn grew wings and began to flutter about.

"Very nice, little sister" exclaimed George. "Three on Three, then?"

Harry lay in bed that night exhausted, but for once, it was from the exhilaration of flight and of competition. He had nearly forgotten what it felt like to be flying and feeling the wind beat against his face. Had Hogwarts really only been closed a year? It seemed an eternity since he had flown over the Quidditch pitch, thinking of nothing but catching the little gold ball that flitted around the stadium. Not that tonight's game had been much like that. The acorn was no real snitch, and each one they bewitched lasted only a few minutes before it flew off into the woods. Still, it had been nice to laugh for only a moment, living, and if only for an hour, as if life was simple and empty of disturbing dreams and danger. Every night for the past week, he had seen Ginny in the Department of Mysteries, watched her spit at Voldemort, and had the urge to beat the lust out of Macnair's eyes. Unsurprisingly, tonight he found himself again in the Department of Mysteries. But something was different. Tonight he felt the cool of the floor on his bare feet. The chill of the night air sent real shivers down his spine. He watched the familiar exchange and waited for the escape of consciousness. But as Macnair neared Ginny, Voldemort turned and stared deep into Harry's eyes. Harry felt his scar explode with pain, and heard Voldemort's smooth voice.

"Here is the question, Harry Potter. Are you dreaming? Or do I truly have the most beautiful and precious thing you possess? Will you risk her life by staying away, or risk the lives of others by coming? The choice is yours, Harry. You remember how much Dumbledore loved choice." Ginny's screams died away and Harry awoke in a cold sweat.


End file.
